


lights will guide you home

by trekinist



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Day 1: Light/Shade, Depression, F/F, JuneRose Week 2019, Trans Female Character
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-10
Updated: 2019-11-10
Packaged: 2021-01-27 06:07:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,313
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21387343
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/trekinist/pseuds/trekinist
Summary: June had never been much of a morning person.
Relationships: June Egbert/Rose Lalonde
Comments: 8
Kudos: 78





	lights will guide you home

**Author's Note:**

> JuneRose Week 2019 Day 1: Light/Shade  
juneroseweek.tumblr.com

June had never been much of a morning person. She went to bed late and stayed there until noon most days – it’s not like she had much to do these days anyway, godhood insured that she would never truly _need_ to do anything – but she found herself dissatisfied with life on Earth C in general. She hardly left her house and didn’t feel the urge to do anything except lay in her bed.

That afternoon, she woke up to three texts on her phone.

TG: <obama_piss_shreds.jpg> 

TG: check this shit out 

TT: Do you still want to visit the broodcaves today? 

Fuck, she’d forgotten what she’d promised Rose. Rose still worked in the broodcaves with Kanaya, even after an amicable breakup several months prior. She felt indebted to the trolls that had assisted them through their session, and even, she told June, enjoyed her work there. The daytime on Earth C wasn’t as dangerous as the dual suns on Alternia, but they had set up the operation in a system of caves regardless, as it seemed to make Kanaya more comfortable.

God _damn _it. Would it kill her to remember a single commitment she’d made with someone who was supposed to be her friend?

June turned off her phone and rolled back over into her bed. The sheer force of apathy weighed her down. She felt disgusting, physically and emotionally. She couldn’t remember the last time she showered. She hadn’t responded to any of her friends’ texts in at least two weeks. Her room was dark, curtains drawn against the sun, casting shadows over the furniture in the room. Jane’s father, identical to her own, stayed in the house occasionally, and those were usually the only times June got a hot meal, but those were rarer and rarer since Jane had started her company.

June felt tears welling up in her eyes and angrily rubbed a sleeve against her face. She didn’t want to feel like this anymore. She almost missed the game, missed seeing her friends and family every day, missed having a purpose given to her by some higher power. It had been over three years since she entered this world, six years since having her childhood stolen from her. Two years since she had told her friends who she really was – or at least, who she was pretty sure she was.

Someone knocked on her door. She didn’t move, hoping they would leave.

Another knock. More insistent. June sighed and rolled out of bed, trudging down the stairs and opening her front door to find herself face-to-face with Rose.

_What the fuck?_

Rose made no move to come in but didn’t say anything either.

“What are you doing here,” June said finally.

“You haven’t answered your phone in a week,” she said. “Not just from me, either – Dave and Jade both said they haven’t heard from you.”

“I’m an adult. I’m allowed to not answer my phone.” June felt herself getting angry but took a shaky breath.

“You also didn’t come to the broodcaves today. Forgive me for feeling worried about your health.”

June bristled at the tone of Rose’s voice. “Don’t fucking high-road me, Rose. You practically disappeared into the caves for six months when we first got here.”

Rose cocked her head, looking confused. “I’m sorry. I wasn’t trying to sound sarcastic. I was genuinely worried.” She brushed her hair behind her right ear. “Can I come in?”

June wanted nothing more than to say yes. She hadn’t had an in-person interaction in at least three weeks. “It’s a mess,” she said instead.

“That’s okay. So is my place,” Rose said, shrugging. The blonde pushed past June into the dark house. She glanced around briefly, then smiled at June. “You know, Dave and Karkat’s hive is far worse. I’m not sure they even own a dross coffer.”

June’s brain slowly spun to understand Rose’s casual use of the strange phrases the trolls used. “A… trash can?” she asked, hesitantly.

Rose laughed lightly. “Right. I’d forgotten, you haven’t lived with trolls. It’s strange, their language is quite more of a mouthful than English, but I’ve gotten quite used to it.” She picked up a mug from the end table by the couch, long forgotten, dregs of old tea at the bottom. “I do think several of them were fucking with us, though. Did you ever hear Terezi call tea ‘scalding leaf fluid’?”

June snorted. “I’m confident Terezi was fucking with you. Her prankster’s gambit was off the charts at all times.” She took the dirty mug from Rose’s hands. “Do you – do you want some tea? I have some in the kitchen,” she said, uncertain of how to host an unexpected, but not unwelcome, guest.

“That would be very kind of you.” Rose hesitated for a moment. “Do you want to get dressed first? You look as though you’ve just woken up.”

“You’re a guest, I wouldn’t – ”

“June,” Rose interrupted, tone indicating she would not take no for an answer, “I can make my own tea. Please take care of yourself, I’m the one who showed up uninvited.”

“I – okay.” June wandered back up the stairs.

By the time she had showered, dressed, and come back downstairs, Rose had not only made tea for them, but opened the curtains to let in the evening light, moved all the dirty dishes into the kitchen, and picked up all the trash from the floor. June immediately felt a deep sense of guilt. “You didn’t have – ”

Rose held up a hand to stop her. “Every action I have taken today stems from my own volition, June. I chose to come here out of concern for you.” She looked carefully at June’s face. “Are you so unused to someone caring for you?” June found herself unable to answer. Rose strode over to the bottom of the stairs and reached out both of her hands to June who took them out of instinct more than anything else.

“It doesn’t have to be immediate,” Rose said. “You don’t have to be ‘okay’ right away. I think all of us were disturbed by the game in one way or another. But you don’t have to hide from it, either.”

June studied her feet carefully. “You sound like you’re speaking from experience,” she said finally, looking up at Rose, still holding her hands.

“Maybe,” she responded, a small smirk on her lips. “Or maybe I just know you too well.”

June rolled her eyes. “Oh, bluh bluh, look at me, I’m the Seer of Light, I know everything all the time.” She allowed Rose to lead her to the window and hand her a mug of hot tea. In the light of the setting sun, she finally took a good look at Rose. She had shaved about half of her head, keeping her hair long on one side. She was glowing, possibly literally, but more likely metaphorically. _She’s cute_, June thought, face flushing red immediately after.

“Something wrong?” Rose had a knowing look on her face. June felt her face flush hotter.

“No! Uh, no. This is… this is nice, is all,” June finished lamely. They stood in silence for a moment. “I, uh, like what you’ve done with your hair.”

“Oh.” Rose blushed lightly as well. “Thank you.” She set her somehow empty mug onto the end table and wrapped her arms around June’s arm.

“Thanks for coming over.” June looked out at the sunset. “I haven’t seen the sunset in a long time.”

“Tragic. It’s beautiful.” Rose shifted to rest her head against June’s shoulder. June’s heart skipped a few beats.

“I’m sorry I didn’t come to the broodcaves today.” Rose glanced up at her, a quizzical look on her face. “Can I come tomorrow?”

“Sure.” Rose smiled widely at June, who returned it, feeling something genuine blossom in her chest. “It’s a date.”


End file.
